Rock & Sole Plaice
The oldest fish and chips shop in London, located in Convent Garden, is a must. It was opened in 1871 and has been using their traditional recipe for the past 145 years. How crazy is that? Walking in, you encounter a high counter. I say high because at my 5’2, I couldn’t see over it. They had a couple tables right inside, but then they had more tables next door and even more tables downstairs. Oh, and on nice days, you can even opt to dine outside.
All in all, there’s plenty of seating available. The menu is fairly simple to read and understand. There are two sizes of fish (regular and large). Mind you, the regular is large enough for two especially since it comes with chips and you should probably try it with a side of mushy peas. Apparently, it’s a thing.
My friend and I grabbed a couple bench seats outside. It was still fairly decent weather in early October and we wanted to savor it before winter came. And like in Game of Thrones, winter was coming.
The fish options included: cod, haddock and plaice. We’d had cod a couple days ago so haddock it was. We were going to get the large to share, but they only had regular sized haddock available. That made our decision easier. The fish came served with chips and tartare sauce. Their tartare sauce is gold…like just give me a spoon already goodness. The chips, they could use some work…or a lot. They are very not memorable…well, I remember them not being good. They were neither soggy nor crispy and almost tasted like they’d been forever sitting under the warming light. We also got the mushy peas, which were very, very peas like. If you’ve ever had mushy peas from Nando’s, they’re nothing like that (which has cilantro and a kick). The texture and consistency is similar and they’re served hot and best tasting with a sprinkle of salt and pepper.
Fish & Chips, Mushy Peas
When in London, and having not been to London or even if you have and you haven’t checked out Rock & Sole Plaice, I’d definitely say it’s worth checking out. It’s one of those essentials you should hit up like Brick Lane. There are also other places you should check out so you can make a fair assessment.
Eat. Drink. Explore 